


The Origins of Red & Riot

by aWICKEDgiraffe



Series: BNHA in the Pokémon Universe [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: And he is basically Kirishima's support animal, Cute Kirishima Eijirou, Gen, Kirishima Eijirou Has Two Moms, Kirishima Eijirou-centric, Kirishima as a child, Kirishima's Rockruff is named Riot, No other BNHA characters (yet), Nothing bad at all, Origin story sorta, Pokemon AU, Self Confidence Issues, So towns/locations/nationalities relate to Pokémon world, Some BNHA-typical violence, Takes place in the Pokemon universe, The moms breed Rockruffs, Young Kirishima Eijirou - Freeform, of course
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23508898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aWICKEDgiraffe/pseuds/aWICKEDgiraffe
Summary: Eijirou grinned, taking his Pokémon's head carefully in his hands.  "It's a new beginning for us, Riot!  I won't go back to being that stupid scared kid who lets villains do whatever they want.  And together, you and I will get stronger just like our favorite trainer—Red and Riot, and unbreakable team!  We're Red Riot!  And our story begins today!"  Riot howled loud and long, which started the other Lycanrocs howling, and Eijirou laughed and laughed, feeling like the luckiest trainer in Kanto.
Series: BNHA in the Pokémon Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693306
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	The Origins of Red & Riot

**Author's Note:**

> This was a lot of fun to write. As for accuracy to Pokémon canon ... meh. I did trawl through Bulbapedia for long periods of time to try to solidify some details, but at the end of the day I realized the longer I spent on Bulbapedia the less time I had to write. So what you get is half-Pokémon canon, half-BNHA canon, half-headcanons. Three halves of stuffs because math is yucky.
> 
> This will be part of a series. I'm going to do Bakugo next! I haven't really fleshed his story out yet, so comment and tell me your headcannons about Pokémon trainer!Bakugo! Inspire me!

**I. ROCKRUFF**  
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It was a different world these days. Brock didn't want to sound like an old man—he was only thirty, after all—but it seemed like the world had been a lot smaller back in his youth. One region, one Pokédex with 150 slots to fill, and everyone gushing over a simple boxy computer that could store Pokémon for the first time. Now, there were multiple regional dexes, and WiFi towers everywhere, and every year technology seemed to get simultaneously more and less complicated. Somehow.

Brock sighed, shaking snow out of his spiky brown hair as he emerged from Rock Tunnel, his Onix slithering by his side with a satisfied air about him. He _should_ be satisfied, Brock thought with fondness. There had been a lot of ice-types in the Tunnel, obviously having migrated down from the mountain peaks due to the winter season, and his Onix had handled himself well. Better than Brock himself, who was still shivering. "G-great workout, Onix! Y-you're really starting to limber up-p," he encouraged through clattering teeth. Onix rumbled in pleasure.

Gym Leader and Pokémon crunched through the snow as they made their way to Brock's destination, smiling at the people who recognized Pewter's famous gym leader—and here was another sign of the ever-expanding world. Used to be, Route 9 was a hiker's dream—one lonely Pokémon Center, and nothing but trails and wild Pokémon wherever else you looked. And then the Power Plant was built, and the area became an important centre of Kanto energy production. A rugged but quaint little town sprang up around the Pokémon Center, supporting the Power Plant workers and their families. It had swallowed up a lot of Route 10 and pushed a lot of wild Pokémon further up the mountain. Still, the people here really seemed to live respectfully and cleanly, building places for Pokémon to gather and maintain a community garden full of berry trees.

On the outskirts of town, a little further into the wild area of Route 9, lay another landmark, and the reason for Brock's visit: Rockruff Ranch. Brock stared up at the _torii_ gate that marked the entrance into the large property, declaring its name with a little diamond motif that matched the collar on a Rockruff. He felt apprehensive, unsure of what he would find here. 

Listen, he understood what it meant, having open communication in an expanding world. People and Pokémon alike were moving, resettling, flying and surfing their way into every corner of the globe—and it was _fine_. It was a part of life in the new age. But a Kanto breeder trying to specialize in an Alolan Pokémon ...? Brock could be forgiven if he had some misgivings. He'd been a Pokémon Breeder in the past and would be again someday. Kanto may have a temperate climate, but it was a far cry from the sunny paradise that was Alola. Also, rock-type Pokémon had a special place in his heart. He would lose respect for himself as a gym leader if he didn't make sure all the Rockruffs here were happy and healthy. 

Determination overtaking the apprehension, Brock motioned to his Onix and moved forward into the ranch. The house was set back a ways from the gate, but the land here was well-manicured and open, and Brock could see the entirety of the property stretched out before him. There was the house, with the area around it fenced-in. There was a building behind the house that looked like a re-purposed stable. A large swimming hole in the front of the property was iced over with the winter temperatures. Trees dotted the land, berry and non-berry.

It came from behind one of those trees, and it came swiftly and without mercy. "PLLEEFFBB," Brock sputtered as the snowball nailed him right in the face, covering him in white powder.

"Supa 'ffective!" Shouted a tiny voice, accompanied by an equally-tiny bark. A small boy tumbled out from behind the tree, dressed warmly in snow pants and boots, a rats-nest of black hair sticking out of his woolly hat. A little brown Pokémon loped beside the boy, Brock's first sighting of a Rockruff—and he nearly sputtered again as he took in the sight of it.

It had four little paw-boots, and it was wearing an obviously hand-knitted sweater, and it was the cutest damn thing Brock had ever seen in his life. 

"Hey, Mista! You're s'posed to faint because it was supa 'ffective! Like this!" The boy called as he ran up to Brock, and then turned to his little Rockruff puppy. "Riot, supa 'ffective!" And Brock had the utter delight of watching both toddler and puppy collapse in the snow in a fake faint. 

Laughing, Brock crouched down and said to the giggling boy, "Very impressive! You'll make a great trainer someday. What's your name, kid?"

"I'm Eijirou! And this is Riot! Are you here for a Rockruff? They're really cool and great!" He leapt up from the snow, grabbing Brock's hand and starting to dragging him towards the house. "Riot is my Rockruff! Kaa-san gave him to me for my birthday! I'm five now! He's my best friend! My very own Pokémon!" Brock really got the feeling that the kid mostly communicated through exclamations.

In front of them, the door to the house opened, and a willowy woman stepped onto the porch. "Eij, time for you and Riot to come in—oh! Hello, sir. Can I help you?"

"Mama, look! I found a cust'mer! He wants a Rockruff!" Brock smiled through his confusion. Mama ... not Kaa-san? And the woman didn't look Kantoan at all. She hadn't recognized Brock, either. Was she foreign? She did have a slight accent ... but Brock didn't travel enough to other regions to place it.

"Yes, hello. My name is Brock, I'm the rock-type Gym Leader in Pewter City. I hope you don't mind my dropping in unannounced, but I'd heard about your breedery, and I wanted to see it for myself."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't look upset or uncomfortable by his presence. Instead, she smiled brightly, turning her head to shout back into the house, "Maiko, come to the door, please! We have a visitor!" She then walked down the steps, going over to Brock to shake his hand—definitely not Kantoan, Johtoan, or Alolan then. Such a tactile greeting suggested she was perhaps an Unovan or a Galarian. "It's such a pleasure to have you here, Mr Brock. My partner and I would be delighted to give you a tour of our humble breedery," she said, her grip firm and sure on Brock's hand. The little boy latched onto the woman's legs, having lost interest in the conversation, and instead begged to stay outside for a little longer.

Another woman stepped out of the house, this one clearly the mother of the little boy wrapped around the foreigner, as they shared the same black hair and cat-like red eyes. This woman was indeed Kantoan, as she gasped the moment she caught sight of the famous Rock leader. "Brock-sama! What a wonderful surprise!" From behind her, a beautiful orange-and-white Pokémon trotted out the door and down the steps, clearly very friendly and unafraid of strangers as it sniffed curiously at Brock's Onix. Luckily, Onix was used to being around unfamiliar Pokémon, so he just slithered in a playful circle and lowered his head to greet the other.

"What a beautiful Pokémon. Is that the evolved form of Rockruff? I'm not too familiar with Alolan Pokémon—I don't travel outside Kanto much," Brock admitted.

Kirishima Maiko smiled, beckoning Brock towards the house. "Yes, that's one of the forms Lycanroc can take. Please, come inside, let me show you."

"Kaa-san, can Riot and I stay out a bit longer? We gotta train s'more!" Eijirou left his mama and went to Maiko, tugging on her dress cutely. Brock didn't quite understand the relationship between the two women, and why Eijirou called them both mother, but that wasn't his business and wasn't why he'd come.

"I could really use your help showing off all our Rockruffs, Ei. What do you say? Will you be Brock-sama's tour guide?"

The little boy cheered and immediately grabbed Brock's hand. "I'll show you! Come on!"

As it turns out, the little five-year-old did make an excellent tour guide, and Rockruff Ranch lived up to all Brock's high standards and then some. Each Rockruff was showered with love, attention, and training. The differing climate was taken into consideration for the little ones, who had winter wear for the snow until they grew to level 10 and were strong enough to thrive in the Kantoan weather. The Lycanrocs apparently came in three forms depending on the time of day they evolved. While there were plenty of midday and midnight forms wandering around (separated from each other due to their conflicting natures), only Kirishima Maiko's Lycanroc was that beautiful orange-and-white dusk form. "The dusk form is hardest to get, as there is a much smaller window of time for the Rockruff to evolve," Maiko explained while Brock used a brush to spoil her relaxed Lycanroc. "My late husband ... he planned her evolution so carefully, down to the second." Her smile was fond and bittersweet. "He loved Lycanroc so much. This was his dream, you know, opening a Rockruff breedery and showing all of Kanto how great Rockruffs are."

Well, that solved part of the mystery. Brock set down the brush and bowed to Maiko. "I'm sorry for your loss. But you honour him greatly with Rockruff Ranch. I'll admit I came here because I had reservations about it—but I'm so glad to be able to admit that I was wrong, and this is one of the best breederies I've ever seen."

Maiko's eyes were wet as she smiled at him and bowed back. "Your praise means everything to me. Thank you, Brock-sama."

Brock stood up, having seen and heard all he needed to make this declaration: "From this moment on, you have the full weight of the Pewter Rock Gym and my status as a Rock-Type master behind you. I would like to publically endorse this breedery if you don't mind. Do you have any advertisements or posters I could hang in the Gym lobby?"

After copious rounds of tears, thank-you's, and overly-affectionate hugs from canine Pokémon and toddlers, Brock finally made his way back outside and down the long drive out of the ranch. "You're always welcome, Mr Brock," the willowy woman said as she walked him out. She was still a little bit of a mystery to Brock, though he had found out that her name was Ann, and she was Unovan. "I hope you'll come back soon, and get a Rockruff puppy of your own. They really are the best Pokémon," she said with a grin.

Brock grinned back. "There's no way I _won't_ want a Rockruff, after what I've seen today. And the same goes for you—the Pewter Gym will welcome you anytime. When Eijirou-kun is older, I'd be honoured to help him become a Pokémon trainer, if that's what he wants."

Ann took his hand in both of hers, another overly-tactile Unovan gesture. "You're too kind. We may take you up on that offer—Eijirou's father was a trainer, and it's all our boy has wanted since we told him. We want that life for him, as well—it's important to Maiko, for Eijirou to have some way to feel connected to Haku."

Brock hesitated, desperately curious but unwilling to cross any lines. Perhaps it was the fact that Ann was Unovan, and therefore less sensitive than the average Kantoan, that allowed his tongue to loosen. "May I ask ... what happened to Eijirou's father?"

Ann was quiet for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "It happens sometimes, right? As much as Pokémon are capable of deep love and loyalty, they are still wild creatures when they're out in the world. It happened in a split second in the mountains, too fast for his Pokémon or anyone else to react—one badly startled Geodude at the wrong time, a tackle to send Haku stumbling in the wrong place, and he was gone. One-hundred meters, straight down."

Oh, _Arceus_. Brock's heart hurt for this family, cobbled together with such pain and loss. And yet ... there was so much love, too. Love for Eijirou, love for all the Rockruffs, and passion for a lost man's dream made a reality.

He shook Ann's hand, initiating the contact himself for once. "Thank you for telling me. I will be in contact to discuss ways the Pewter Gym can help support your ranch. And I'll be back in person again soon, count on it!" With another heartfelt goodbye, Brock and Onix made their way back through the newly-christened Rocktown and to Rock Tunnel, intending to make it back to Pewter City by nightfall.

It was a different world these days. But Brock couldn't help but think that the differences were all for the better.

**II. LYCANROC**

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"Riot, use **Crush Claw**!" 

Twelve-year-old Kirishima Eijirou watched with a critical eye as a little tan canine slashed at a Geodude with extended claws, cracking its outer defence and leaving it vulnerable for further physical attacks. Geodude tried to curl its body around the vulnerability to compensate, but Eijirou and Riot were too quick. With a toothy grin, Ei shouted, "Riot, show Geodude some love!" With a cute little bark, Riot ran right up to the curled Pokémon and began vigorously rubbing his rocky collar along its body. The rocks' sharpness proved to be the end of the match when one stuck into the crack previously made by Crush Claw. Geodude fainted and was recalled by the Pewter Gym Trainer.

"Way to go, Riot! _Yeah_!" Eijirou cheered, running to give his Pokémon some pets. The Rockruff's blue eyes shown with affection as his Trainer rubbed between his ears, and he barked just as loudly as Eijirou cheered.

"Eiji-kun, please call _official_ Pokémon moves when you're in a proper match, okay? That kind of improvisation is all well and good for wild Pokémon tussles, but as a Gym leader I could disqualify Riot for something like that outside the registered moveset."

"Aw, Brock-ojiisan!"

The Pewter City gym leader was thirty-seven and had been training Eijirou since the boy had turned ten. Every weekday, after he got out of school, Eijirou would run to the Pewter Gym and train with Brock and his subordinates for a few hours. Brock-ojiisan was a great teacher, knew all the tricks and tips for raising rock-type Pokémon, and was strict but fair with Eijirou and Riot. Case in point—

"Sometimes it really sucks being limited to Riot's moveset. I get lots of ideas during a match, and I wanna try them all! Why does it have to be like that, Brock-ojiisan?"

Brock tousled the boy's chin-length black hair, sighing in that particular way that meant Eijirou probably learned about this before but had forgotten. "For the same reason a Pokémon Trainer can only utilize up to six Pokémon at a time. It keeps matches fair and balanced. To even the playing field for all different types of Trainers, the rules need to be standardized across the Regions."

"I guess that makes sense. Playing fair is manly! I'll only use Riot's registered moveset next time, I promise!" The boy turned to Kanta, one of Brock's gym trainers, and bowed in apology. "Thanks for the match! Sorry for the unregistered move! It won't happen again!"

Brock chuckled, smiling warmly at the boy who's become like a nephew to him. He never quite outgrew speaking in exclamations. "And how is Riot doing compared to the timeline you drew up? Is he on-schedule? It's going to be soon, right?"

Eijirou grinned again, showing off his shaper-than-normal teeth. "He's officially level twenty-four, as of yesterday. I'm observing his experience growth... I've got it timed to Friday at 5pm on the dot! He's gonna be an even prettier Dusk colour than kaa-san's!" Eijirou was bouncing now, too excited to contain his energy. "I'm gonna have a Lycanroc! Are ya excited, Riot? Are ya, are ya?" His energy overflowed, spilling over to Riot quickly as the Rockruff bounded in circles and barked incessantly.

Brock laughed. "Alright, kid, calm down. So just a couple days, huh? And are you prepared for the aggression spike? I've noticed that Riot is already a lot rougher than he used to be ... he won't hurt you on purpose, I know that, but you've gotta prepare for an adjustment period. Have your moms walked you through everything?"

Eijirou's laugh turned into a pout. "Hey, Brock-ojiisan, I grew up on Rockruff Ranch! I've taken care of _loads_ of Lycanroc, I can totally handle it!"

Well, that was probably true. Brock thought that _he_ was perhaps the one who wasn't ready to handle the aggression of a Lycanroc in his Gym every day.

Suddenly, the doors flew open, banging against the wall as another gym trainer ran into the building. "Brock-sama! Pewter's downtown is under attack! Its Team Rocket!" The other gym trainers erupted with shock and anger, turning to their Gym Leader to wait for instructions.

Brock leapt into action, racing over to his bag to switch out his weaker gym Pokémon for his personal team. "Grab your teams and get to the Pokémon Center, quickly! Protect the nurses; don't let any grunts steal injured Pokémon!" The Gym emptied out quickly, and soon it was just Brock and Eijirou.

"Brock-ojiisan ..." Eijirou murmured fearfully, clenching a fist in Riot's ruff. "What should I do?"

Brock tossed a Pokéball out the door of the Gym, and Eijirou saw Brock's favoured Onix appear in an explosion of light. "Stay here, Eiji-kun, and stay safe. I'm locking you in—don't answer the door for anybody, okay? Keep Riot close, and protect each other." With that, Brock was gone, and Eijirou was left in the empty Gym alone.

"Be safe ..." Eijirou murmured, and Riot butted his head against Eijirou's hand, whining softly. "I know, boy—this is really scary! I can't believe Team Rocket would attack Pewter City in broad daylight. I feel like I should be with Brock-ojiisan, helping protect everyone ..." Riot cocked his head at Eijirou, yipping almost in admonishment. "No, Brock-ojiisan told us to stay _here_ , Riot! Sorry boy, but we can't go." He sighed, sitting down cross-legged on the floor. "When you evolve into a Lycanroc, Riot, we'll have all the strength we need to protect everybody! Even Brock-ojiisan! So let's keep working hard when this is over, and get you your Dusk form!" His beloved partner yipped in agreement, and then settled down by Eijirou's side, blue eyes focused on the glass doors.

Nothing happened, for a long while. Eijirou couldn't sit still, opting to stand up and pace over by the reception desk to try and relieve some of his nervous energy. He tried not to worry about Brock-ojiisan, but it was proving to be difficult. "What if they gang up on him," he asked Riot in desperation, the Pokémon cocking an ear in Eijirou's direction. "What if they have lots of water and grass Pokémon and Onix gets hurt? What if—"

"Hello, hello? Is anyone there? Brock-sama? Please, let us in! Help us!" Eijirou froze in his tracks as two girls suddenly ran up to the Gym doors, one of them banging a fist on the glass while the other had her back turned, focusing on something in the distance. Eijirou recognized them from school, though they weren't in his class. What should he do? Brock-ojiisan told him not to open the door for anyone ...

And then, a Rocket grunt stepped onto the path behind the girls. He was a mean-looking brute, all muscles and small squinting eyes. He had an equally mean-looking Raticate beside him, drool dripping down its wicked teeth. He couldn't hear what the grunt said to the girls, but it was clear he was after their Pokémon.

Eijirou's heart leapt to his throat. He should do something! He and Riot had been training for two years now, surely he could handle one Raticate? His legs wouldn't cooperate. His chest hurt with how fast his heart was beating. The girls were trembling, and the grunt was getting closer to them. Why wasn't he doing anything?! He was so scared, but the girls had it so much worse. He could help them! Why couldn't he move, was he really so pathetic? Yes, he _was_. He was just a stupid scared _loser_ who didn't have the right to call himself a Pokémon trainer—

"Ruff." Riot was suddenly there, nipping at Eijirou's fingers and dragging him out of his own head.

"Ouch! Riot?" Startled red eyes stared into solemn blue. Eijirou had never seen Riot look so intense before like he was staring through him. There was a determination that filled Riot to the brim, making his fur stand on end and his eyes gleam with sharpness, muzzle lifted proudly in the air. 

"Ruff, ruff!" His Pokémon's presence filled the space around him. He butted his head sharply against Eijirou's hand, chasing away the anxious, buzzing thoughts and giving Eijirou clarity for the first time since word of Team Rocket had first reached them.

"We ... can _do_ this. We can help those girls," Eijirou said, hesitation slowly leaking out of his body and voice as he spoke. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer. My Pokémon is standing strong, so I will, too! I gotta be manly—to be anything less would be an insult to my Pokémon's hard work! Yeah! C'mon Riot, let's be heroes!"

"Ruff, ruff, ruff!" Riot barked loudly, spinning in a tight circle and then facing the glass doors with fangs bared. The grunt was leaning over the crying girls in a position of power and intimidation, one hand resting on the door over their heads and the other held out for their Pokéballs.

Eijirou's legs didn't freeze up this time. He sprinted to the door, Riot on his heels, and threw it open. The grunt was thrown off-balance and stumbled to the ground with an expletive. Eijirou used the distraction to push the girls behind him into the safety of the Gym lobby. "Close the doors behind me, don't open them for anyone except Brock-ojiisan or Officer Jenny!"

Riot had already tackled the Raticate, sending it sprawling a few feet away. The grunt recovered and narrowed his eyes at the interloper standing between him and his prey. "Who do you think you are, punk? You think you can just step in and interfere with Team Rocket? Fine, I'll take _your_ Pokémon first! Raticate, **Bite** that stupid dog!"

Eijirou had never been a part of such a high-stakes Pokémon match. But strangely, all he felt was confidence as Riot dodged the Raticate's teeth and regrouped in front of his Trainer, snarling and baring his fangs. "I won't let you take their Pokémon, and you won't have mine, either! I'll stop you right here and now!"

The grunt backpedalled away from Ejirou, regrouping with his Raticate a safe distance away. "Think you're some kinda hotshot, punk? We'll see which is stronger—your rocks or our teeth!"

He sent the Raticate forward with another Bite. Riot attempted to dodge, but the vicious teeth caught one of the rocks in his ruff with just enough leverage to drag the littler Pokémon closer. Eijirou had a move ready to call out as soon as the Raticate finished its turn and withdrew—but it didn't, just held Riot between its teeth, and before Eijirou could do more than blink in confusion the Rocket grunt yelled, " **Hyper Fang**!" The stone between the Raticate's wide, flat teeth chipped off with the force of the bite, causing the Rockruff to yelp.

"Riot!" Eijirou shouted in shock and then turned angrily on the grunt. "You used two moves in a row, that's _against the rules_!"

The Raticate withdrew and hopped back towards its Trainer, who scoffed out a laugh. "What are you gonna do, punk? Call the League on me?"

Eijirou grit his teeth. Man, he _hated_ this guy! "Riot, you good?" he asked his partner, who shook out his ruff and then barked affirmatively. "Awesome! Okay, boy, it's _our_ turn! Looks like that Raticate wants to chew on some rocks—let's give it a whole buffet! **Rock Throw**!"

Riot's bright blue eyes blazed keenly as his tail began to glow, ejecting sharp stones that hurled themselves at the opponents. There were too many to dodge, but the rocks were small, and Raticate was able to take the attack standing.

Eijirou and Riot settled into the battle with tenacity and focus. Eijirou decided on a long-range battle style, determined to keep Riot away from Raticate's teeth and tail. Riot danced evasively around the increasingly-frustrated rat, picking away at its HP with Rock Throws and using his fluffy tail to sweep a few Sand Attacks into its eyes. Even so, Raticate was a vicious opponent, and its Trainer didn't follow League rules at all—Eijirou had counted six different moves used against Riot so far, often in succession instead of turn-based.

After a few successful Fury Swipes that sent bits of Riot's fur flying, Eijirou decided enough was enough. It was time to end this, the way Eijirou and Riot preferred—up close and personal. "Good boy, Riot! Now, use **Crush Claw**!"

Riot rushed forward, leaping in the air over the tail that had whipped around in an attempt to trip him up ("Seriously, dude, again?") and landed claws-first on the Raticate's back. Though he was the smaller Pokémon, he was still a rock-type—and therefore weighed enough to flatten that Raticate right out on the ground. 

Surprisingly, it didn't faint. It was close, though, and Crush Claw had lowered its defences even further. Riot, on the other hand, had incredible stamina and could take a few more Bites if Eijirou followed the rules; if he allowed Riot to wait his turn and end this the League way.

But the grunt had made Eijirou realize that this was no proper Pokémon battle. There were no League officials to call fouls, or Gym Leaders to disqualify him. There were no rules and regulations, other than to make sure he and his beloved Pokémon partner got out of this fight in one piece. So Eijirou was going to finish it now, _his_ way. He grinned widely, and peripherally he could see the grunt flinch at the sight of Eijirou's sharp teeth.

"Hey, Riot! Show that Raticate some love!"

Riot nearly howled in delight and nuzzled his jagged rocks into the Pokémon beneath him in aggression more than affection. With a pained cry, Raticate fainted, and then it was finally over. Riot ran barking over to Eijriou and leapt into his arms, and Eijirou was so proud of him he couldn't contain it, laughing and spinning him through the air. "You did it! _We_ did it! We were awesome, yeah!"

The Rocket grunt recalled his fainted Pokémon with a snarl. "You brat. You think you got the best of Team Rocket? You better think again. We got _admins_ here, and you can bet they'll crush that stupid Gym Leader and his rock-type Pokémon to gravel! And you'll be next, I'll make sure of that. You better watch your back!"

Riot leapt out of Eijirou's hands, snarling viciously, and his tail glowed up for another Rock Throw. The grunt quickly turned tail and ran, cursing as he got pelted with small stones on the way. _So_ unmanly.

Eijirou's Pokédex chirped with battle results and an updated account balance, but Eijirou ignored it. He paced, his victory grin fading into a nervous frown. "I'm kinda worried about Brock-ojiisan. What do ya think, Riot? Should we go find him? And maybe kick more Team Rocket butts along the way?"

Riot full-out howled, claws digging into the earth and hackles rising as he cried out his battle lust to the darkening sky. His eyes almost looked red in the light of the setting sun. Eijirou stared at his Pokémon partner in awe, suddenly understanding Brock-ojiisan's concerns a bit. "You really _are_ getting pretty aggressive, aren't ya little man? Aw, it's kinda cute!"

That had earned him a nipped finger or five.

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It was a long evening. Eijirou hadn't come across Brock-ojiisan right away, instead diving in to help the ordinary citizens of Pewter City, whose homes and businesses were being looted and their Pokémon stolen by Team Rocket grunts. But Pewter people were tough as nails, and often they dove right into the fray to help each other out, double and even triple battling to send grunts packing. Riot was a force of nature, fast and vicious and tenacious. Eijirou couldn't believe he'd _ever_ doubted this, their strength and their bond, as they won battle after battle.

By the time he found Brock-ojiisan, Eijirou was covered in sweat and dirt, had a lump in the back of his head where he'd been nailed by a stray Bullet Seed, and was having the time of his life.

To his credit, Brock-ojiisan wasn't at all surprised to see him. He just rolled his eyes, tossed Eijirou a Super Potion, and went back to soundly thrashing the Rocket Admin before him. Brock's slightly-psychotic Steelix was out to play, and Eijirou felt bad for the guy, villain though he was—there were definitely broken bones in his future.

He spared a few moments to watch Brock-ojiisan be manly and cool, and then he turned back around. "Alright Riot, let's go towards the school and make sure all the ... students are ... safe?" Eijirou blinked, spinning around and searching the ground around his feet. "Riot? Where are ya, boy?" He stuttered forward a few feet, looking around at the various battles and chaos ensuing around him, trying to catch a glimpse of tan fur. Did that rock-brained dog really just leave to fight without him? Man, he was going to be _so_ aggressive as a Lycanroc ...

But as Eijirou finished a lap around the plaza without a sign of Riot, panic began to set low in his belly. "Riot? RIOT, WHERE ARE YOU?" He'd only taken his eyes off his partner for a _second_ , how could he have lost him? There was no way a Rocket grunt could've snuck up behind him and taken Riot without a sound ... right?

Oh, _Arceus_. Eijirou broke into a sprint, picking a random street and running past Rocket grunts and Pewple alike. "RIOT! _RIOT_!" he called over and over, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as all the terrible scenarios played in his mind. He was laying in a ditch, fainted and hurt. He was abducted by Team Rocket. He was lost, searching for Eijirou just as desperately ...

Out of nowhere, down some side street that Eijirou didn't know the name of, something collided painfully with the back of his knees, and he ate the pavement. It _hurt_ ; tears poured down his cheeks as he sat up and spat blood onto the street; his sharp teeth had bitten deep into his tongue. But it didn't matter, because all he could feel was joy and relief. " _Riot_ , thank Arceus I found you—huh?" He looked up into narrow, black eyes and wide, drooling teeth, and that joy died viciously in his chest.

"Well, well, well ... just the brat we were looking for, eh Raticate?" It was _him_ , the grunt from the Gym! But ... why was he here? Eijirou had already defeated him, he wasn't supposed to come _back_ ...! Eijirou scrambled to his feet, mouth full of blood and heart full of fear. 

"Aw, did you lose something, Sharpedo-boy? Why don't I help you with that, huh?"

That paralyzing, choking feeling from the Gym lobby was filling him again. His body trembled. His heart throbbed in his throat, and his legs went numb. What should he do? He'd already decided to never to feel this way again, to doubt in his and Riot's bond—but Riot wasn't here. He'd left Eijirou on his own, with no other Pokémon, to face a villain who so clearly wanted to hurt him.

The grunt's eyes matched his Raticate's, black and small and vicious. "Not so tough without that yappy dog at your heels, slinging its pathetic pebbles, are you brat?" Eijirou stumbled backwards, some sort of flight instinct trying to kick in through the numbness. The grunt stayed still. "Let's see if we can make _you_ faint this time. Raticate, **Tackle**."

Eijirou barely had time to throw up his hands in a defensive manoeuver before he was thrown off his feet by what felt like the force of a small train, knocking all the wind out of him and laying him flat on his back. Wheezing, Eijirou tried to scramble back to his feet, but he felt uncoordinated and dizzy.

The grunt was drawing closer. His face was so blank, and his eyes were so cold. " **Quick Attack**." Raticate moved so quickly Eijirou didn't have time to flinch before his body skidded across the ground and his head smacked painfully into the wall behind him. His gasp of pain made him choke on the blood that had been pooling in his mouth from his cut tongue, and he coughed. It hurt. It _hurt_. Tears dripped down his chin. He wanted his kaa-san.

The grunt was standing before him now, watching him with a smirk. "That's the problem with these young Pokémon trainers, Raticate. They go traipsing around the region throwing Pokéballs at all sorts of people bigger than them, convinced that theirs is the only kind of power in the world. But take away that Pokéball and all you have left is some snot-nosed brat peeing his pants and crying for Mummy."

Eijirou coughed and spat out more blood and tried not to puke the rest of it up. "W-where ... is h-he?" he gasped. He couldn't sit up, lead lolling uselessly against the wall. "Where's ... Riot ...?"

The grunt shrugged. "Dunno. Shoved in a sack in the back of a van? Kicked into the gutter like old rubbish? Suffocating in some Muk's body? Who knows. Don't really care, I only came here because of you. I _owe_ you." Eijirou had encountered evil for the first time in this world, was looking it in the face, watching as it looked back. This man ... this evil man looked at a little twelve-year-old's bruised and battered face and only said, "Try for a critical hit this time, Raticate. Faint him good and proper."

Raticate shifted its weight to its back feet, ready to strike—

And then, a howl sounded through the narrow street, so deep and loud that it made the bricks beneath Eijirou's head resonate with the timbre. The Rocket grunt's head whipped around, but by then it was too late—in an explosion of rock shards and a streak of deep red, the Raticate was flung thirty-odd meters down to the other end of the street, crashed into a rubbish bin, and laid still.

The grunt had tripped backwards in shock, falling on the ground and banging his elbow against the cobbles. "Ow, what the f—" he looked up into glowing red eyes, and the curse died on his tongue.

A Midnight-Form Lycanroc stood in front of Eijirou like some avenging angel—no, an avenging _devil_ —muzzle full of sharp teeth and wide paws tipped with wicked claws and glowing red eyes that promised nothing but complete and utter destruction.

The grunt had fear in his eyes, for the first time. He leapt to his feet and ran as fast as he could, fumbling for Raticate's Pokéball to collect him on his way out. But then four massive boulders slammed into the ground around him, boxing him in, preventing escape. Eijirou gaped. Rock Tomb, had to be, but so incredibly powerful ...! And then a fifth boulder, not nearly as large as the others but big enough to get the job done, fell right on top of his head, and the man crumbled and didn't get up again.

Eijirou was too dizzy to move, could only stare incomprehensibly at this strange Lycanroc that had come to rescue him out of nowhere. Really, it was a wonder he was still conscious at this point, so he could be forgiven for the absolute delusion that spilled out of his lips when he looked at this fierce, protective Pokémon— _"Dad?"_

The Lycanroc whimpered, padding to Eijirou's side and licking his cheek. Acting completely different than before, the Lycanroc curled tightly in a ball, almost in shame, and whined on every exhale.

Eijirou hurt all over. He wanted his kaa-san, but this strange Lycanroc was warm and soft. He closed his eyes, laying his aching head down onto soft scarlet fur, and let himself drift for a bit. He thought at one point maybe he'd heard the Lycanroc barking, and someone calling his name, but Eijirou decided he'd deal with it later. He slept.

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When Eijirou woke up, it was to his mothers by his side. Kaa-san was crying and clinging to her son's hand, while Mama stood behind her with comforting hands on her shoulders and a relieved smile for Eijirou.

"Riot?" is the first thing out of his mouth, the only thing on his mind.

Mama frowned worriedly, which made Eijirou start to panic. He began to sit up—but his head throbbed painfully and moving made him dizzy, so he was quick to fall back down onto the pillows. He could feel bandages wrapped around his head.

"Oh, please don't move Ei, you have a concussion!" Kaa-san cried, rubbing his hand between hers in distress. "That horrible villain, attacking a child like that ... it's good that Officer Jenny has him in custody; otherwise, I would be very tempted to do something illegal!"

Fighting the dizziness, Eijirou tried to ask again, "R-Riot ...?" but his mother was getting worked up now and didn't hear him.

"And Brock-sama, I am so disappointed in him, allowing you to battle men twice your age. He put you in danger, and I have half a mind to stop letting you train with him—"

" _ Kaa-san _ —"

"Now, now, Maiko, settle down," Mama interrupted, massaging her wife's shoulders soothingly. "Kids younger than Eiji have taken on worse foes than just Rocket Grunts and come out the other side. Why, Red took down Giovanni when he was  _ ten _ ."

"Don't start with me, Ann, that's  _ not _ the same—"

"Kaa-san! Mama!  _ Where is Riot _ ?!" Eijirou yelled, finally making himself heard despite how it flared up his headache.

"He's safe," Mama said quickly, trying to reassure him. 

Eijirou did his best to look around the room without moving his head. "Where?" He couldn't see the little tan Rockruff anywhere. Despite his Mama's attempts, his panic rose again. "Is he hurt?"

"He's right outside, Ei. Right in front of the door," Kaa-san said. But that doesn't make sense. Why would Riot be out there, when he could be here beside Eijirou?

Kaa-san's worried expression came back. "The poor thing ... he's upset. We can't get him to eat anything, he won't go into his Pokéball to rest, and we can't get him to come into the room. He's curled up by the door," she explained. She looked up at Ann. "Maybe if Ei called him ...?"

Ann nodded. Eijirou fought to move his head, fighting nausea in his belly. He just had to see for himself that his precious partner was alright! "Riot, please, Riot, come here, boy!" he called desperately.

Ann opened the door, and suddenly the dizziness and the anxiety faded into the background; became totally unimportant in the wave of disbelief and shock that overtook him at the sight of the same Midnight-Form Lycanroc from last night. The one who'd saved him, who he'd thought he'd dreamed up in his moment of pain and fear. The one he'd deliriously called 'Dad.'

But now, looking at the scarlet fur, the tucked-in tail, he realized.  "Riot ..." 

Riot had evolved. He'd done what all Rockruffs instinctually do; run away and hide in some safe, secret hiding place, to transform without the danger of being attacked or interrupted in the vulnerable period of evolution. He'd been one level away from evolving in the morning, carefully-planned matches and training sessions between him and evolution the following Friday at dusk. But last night he and Riot had been in so many high-stakes battles, crammed in with so many people who likely had active EXP-Shares getting their signals crossed ... Riot had probably gained several levels throughout the night. He'd have to check. It wasn't important right now.

"He's upset about his form," Kaa-san explained, letting go of Eijirou's hand and moving aside to give him a better view of his Pokémon. "He knows how hard you've worked towards getting him the Dusk-Form. I think he feels like he's let you down, Ei. He won't listen to us. He needs you to set him straight."

Riot needed him. Holding his arms out to his mothers, they carefully helped him sit up in bed so he could see better. His Pokémon was curled in on himself on the floor outside Eiji's hospital room, breathing out soft whimpers. His eyes were fixed on the ground, and he looked so incredibly sad.

"Riot, look at me." Eijirou's voice was not soft or pitying, because that wasn't what Riot needed at the moment. It was a command, something that Riot could instinctually obey without having to think. Because it was evident that this Lycanroc was  _ paralyzed _ with feeling, and needed his Trainer to guide him.

Riot let out a loud whine, but his sad eyes cut up across the floor and met Eijirou's—and Eijirou couldn't help his gasp. One eye was the reddish-pink colour that was expected of Midnight-Lycanrocs, but the other was still a startling, bright Rockruff blue.

Mama looked down at her son's Pokémon in empathy. "We think it's because he was fighting the evolution, trying to cancel it himself—beat himself up a bit trying." And that little detail was important, but Eijirou filed it away to be addressed later.

"Riot, come here." And it was heartbreaking, watching what should be a proud, tall Pokémon crawling forward on his belly, whining and looking like he expected someone to kick him.

No concussion in the world was strong enough to keep Eijirou in bed at that look. Despite his moms' protests, Eijirou slipped out of bed and fell clumsily to the floor, crawling to meet Riot half-way. He felt tears on his face. He threw his arms around the Lycanroc, mindful of the stones along his sides, and buried his face in his thick ruff.

"You listen to me. I don't care one _bit_ about Dusk-Form. Riot, you could never,  _ ever _ let me down. I don't care what form you take, you're perfect just the way you are. My Riot, my perfect partner, I love you so much! You look awesome and manly, and you saved my life, and I'm proud to be your partner!"

Riot closed his mismatched eyes and crooned, snuggling into Eijirou. He heard sniffles from the doorway—it was probably Brock-ojiisan eavesdropping, he was a big crybaby—but Eiji didn't plan on moving anytime soon.

It was where the doctor found them, an immeasurable amount of time later. After some scolding and some help, Eijirou and Riot curled together on the bed, inseparable forever and always.

So much for Riot being an aggressive Lycanroc, he thought sleepily, as his Pokémon licked his cheek. 

After two nights of continuously interrupted sleep (stupid concussion checks), his moms took him home. Riot was better, was following Eiji around and being his usual affectionate self, but Eijirou could tell he was still down. He'd had a lot of time to think about it at the hospital though, and had come up with the idea that would help reassure Riot that he like his Midnight-Form, (and would also be really manly and cool as a side-effect). So before they got in the car, he whispered his idea to Mama, and they made a stop at the drugstore on their way home.

When they arrived home, Eijirou settled Riot on his bed, telling him firmly to rest, and then disappeared into the bathroom with Mama.

"What are you two up to," his Kaa-san called accusingly through the closed door, used to her family's mischief.

"You'll see~" Eijirou called back teasingly.

The pair of them stayed holed up in the bathroom for an hour and a half. When Eijirou finally emerged, it was to the utter shock of his Kaa-san and the overjoyed barking of his Lycanroc. Because he had dyed his hair the exact shade of scarlet as Riot's fur in a show of solidarity and complete support. He'd also carefully sculpted spikes into his new red locks, just like the Lycanroc's spiky mane.

Eijirou grinned, taking his Pokémon's head carefully in his hands. "It's a new beginning for us, Riot! I won't go back to being that stupid scared kid who lets villains do whatever they want. And together, you and I will get stronger just like our favourite Trainer—Red and Riot, and unbreakable team! We're Red Riot! And our story begins today!" Riot howled loud and long, which started the other Lycanrocs howling, and Eijirou laughed and laughed, feeling like the luckiest Trainer in Kanto.

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**Author's Note:**

> Just doubling up notes in case you missed 'em:
> 
> This was a lot of fun to write. As for accuracy to Pokémon canon ... meh. I did trawl through Bulbapedia for long periods of time to try to solidify some details, but at the end of the day I realized the longer I spent on Bulbapedia the less time I had to write. So what you get is half-Pokémon canon, half-BNHA canon, half-headcanons. Three halves of stuffs because math is yucky.
> 
> This will be part of a series. I'm going to do Bakugo next! I haven't really fleshed his story out yet, so comment and tell me your headcannons about Pokémon trainer!Bakugo! Inspire me!


End file.
